


they say the third time’s the charm (well how about the ninth?)

by ApatheticRobots



Series: the fundamentals of conscious existence [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Communication, Crossover, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, the megastar is only in SG if thats a concern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 08:29:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30035892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApatheticRobots/pseuds/ApatheticRobots
Summary: The strange version of Cliffjumper that appeared in their universe for seemingly no reason sparked an idea in Starscream's processor. His existence proved that the multiverse theory was true, and his presence in their world meant that it was possible for a mech to travel between worlds and survive the process.So what if he could figure out how to do it onpurpose?
Relationships: Megatron/Starscream (Transformers), Starscream & Starscream, Starscream & Wheeljack (Transformers), background Starscream/Wheeljack
Series: the fundamentals of conscious existence [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022745
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	they say the third time’s the charm (well how about the ninth?)

**Author's Note:**

> hoo boy. this is the third part in a series and while you can probably try reading it without reading the other two stories theres gonna be some references and stuff that just do Not make sense without context
> 
> first time writing for SG, still getting used to the characters/continuity differences, pardon any inconsistencies. title is from "The River with No Name" by Radical Face. doesnt really have much of a connection to the story i just think its a good lyric and a good song overall. please listen to radical face--
> 
> i have some Things To Say but for the sake of brevity i won't get too much into it here (ill save it for the end notes), but long story short, Megastar is a Complicated Subject that i think ought to be approached with caution and a healthy amount of critical thinking. please read the whole fic (or at least read the very lengthy end note) before passing judgement and running to the comments to start an argument.

The first thing Starscream heard, upon resetting his audials after the deafening sound that had echoed from his (he had thought failed) experiment when it began glowing and activated while he was holding it had sent them offline in the first place, was a very offended sounding; “Oh for the love of-- This _cannot_ keep happening. _”_

A voice he didn’t recognize, the activation of a device that was meant to let him cross the barriers between universes, and a general sense of _wrongness_ settling over his entire frame.

“Oh, dear,” he said, blinking to try and clear his optics and looking down at the slightly-smoking device in his servos. It still _looked_ halfway functional, but… when he flicked the switch that was _supposed_ to activate it, nothing happened. Something was wrong internally then. It would be a simple enough fix, hopefully whoever’s dimension he’d landed in would be willing to let him borrow some tools. 

Actually, he should probably figure that part out first.

“Apologies,” he said, tucking the now-broken device away into his subspace. “I think something might have gone wrong.”

“You’re telling me.” His optics finally finished resetting themselves, and he looked towards the speaker. Mostly red, black accents, set of wings on his back. No visible faction insignia, which could either mean he _wasn’t_ part of any faction or could just as well mean he was an Autobot trying not to get caught. Or… a Decepticon trying not to get caught. The Alternate Cliffjumper had mentioned the reversal of their parties’ respective roles in his own dimension, perhaps this was one of those? 

Oh, he’d just been staring, and the other mech was looking thoroughly creeped out at this point. “Apologies,” he repeated. “I-- you’ll have to forgive my rudeness, this is all a bit… strange. May I ask your name?”

The mech squinted at him for a moment. “Starscream.”

Starscream perked up a bit. “Oh, fascinating!” It had crossed his processor, of course, that if _their_ universe had a version of Cliffjumper, then _other_ universes must have alternate versions of all of _them._ It was still quite novel, though, meeting his own alternate self. “My name is _also_ Starscream. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

This universe’s Starscream just rolled his optics. “Oh, lovely,” he said. “Another one.” 

“There’s _more_ of us?”

“Presumably an infinite amount, based on our collective calculations, but specifically here and now,” he sighed, “yes. _Another_ alternate Starscream we… sort of adopted. It’s an odd little roommate situation. There’s a whole story to it, but to keep it short, he was having problems and instead of returning to his own dimension, it was better overall if he just stayed here. Skinny, anxious, flighty little--”

“Star!” A voice said, and a door Starscream hadn’t noticed set against one wall slammed open. “I got your comm, what--”

As soon as he laid optics on the newcomer (as well as the symbol on their chest, which despite its odd coloration, was still familiar enough to send a jolt of fear through his frame) he had his cannon out and primed, pointed at their helm. He’d recognize those distinct audial fins _anywhere._ Varied color scheme or no.

Wheeljack froze. The other Starscream froze too. The only sound, for several moments, was the whining of his cannon as it gathered unspent charge.

“Hey,” Wheeljack-who-was-not-Wheeljack said, keeping his voice carefully calm as he slowly raised both servos. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Different color scheme, no _obvious_ inbuilt weaponry, soft blue optics instead of glaring red. All signs pointed towards this being this universe’s version of the mad scientist he was familiar with. And thus, there was no way of gauging his intentions. 

Logically, he knew that. It didn’t stop his servos from shaking where he held his cannon.

“Why don’t you put the gun down,” Wheeljack continued, voice steady and servos held aloft, “an’ we can talk about this like civilized mechs, okay?”

Definitely not the Wheeljack he knew. Slowly, in case it turned out to be a trick of some kind, he let the charge from his cannon dissipate and let the barrel point towards the ground. As he did so, Wheeljack visibly relaxed, and the sound of stressed fans from the other Starscream’s direction that he hadn’t noticed died down.

“I-- I’m sorry,” he stuttered, “you… look like somebody I am… familiar with.”

Wheeljack’s expression softened. “I get it,” he said. “Trust me. ‘Sides, given how much this sorta thing has been goin’ on lately, I’ve kinda gotten used t’ being greeted at gunpoint. Happened a lot during the war too. Could’a been a rougher introduction.”

Happened. Past tense. “I am beginning to understand that our worlds are… very different.”

“That does seem to be the case for most of them,” the other Starscream said, voice mildly strained. He walked over to stand at Wheeljack’s side, setting a servo on the grounder’s shoulder. “Wheeljack, this is _also_ Starscream. Starscream, Wheeljack. He’s a former Autobot, though he refuses to get rid of that ugly emblem, and my Conjunx.” 

Starscream blinked. Glanced between the two. “Oh!” He suddenly felt very bad for his earlier threatening. “Oh, I-- I see.” A Decepticon and an Autobot, albeit both former, happily conjunxed.

_Very_ different indeed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Starscream said, dipping his helm. “As mentioned, my name is Starscream. Second-in-Command to Megatron and head of the Decepticon science division. Once again, I sincerely apologize for my alarming reaction to your appearance.”

When he looked up at the two of them, they were both staring at him like he’d grown a second helm. Slightly unnerving.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, no,” the other Starscream said, glancing over at Wheeljack for a moment before looking back to him with a smile on his face that was _definitely_ supposed to be placating. Starscream briefly wondered what he’d said wrong. “Just… it’s interesting, how different two mechs can be, even if they’re technically the same person, you know?” 

“Oh, yes, I understand that well enough.” He wrung his servos together. “In my world, the war is still quite present. And, well.” He looked up at Wheeljack. “We Decepticons, led by Megatron, are the last remaining bastion in defending the rest of the universe from the tyranny of the Autobots. Their leader, Optimus Prime, is… quite soundly a mad-mech. He wants to conquer pretty much _everything,_ and will destroy whatever or _whoever_ ends up in his path in order to achieve his goals. The whole of them…” He shuttered. “Monsters.”

Silence. He winced. Perhaps he should not have been so hasty in laying out just what made his universe so different from the others he’d heard of. Cliffjumper had a similarly alarmed look on his face when the whole of it had been explained as Wheeljack was currently sporting.

Well, as much of Wheeljack’s expression as he could actually see, that was. Maybe he’d ask about the mask later.

...Or maybe that was rude.

“Guess I can kinda understand why you, uh,” Wheeljack cleared his vocalizer, averting his optics somewhat awkwardly, “reacted th’ way you did, when you saw me. I probably would’a done the same, if I were in your pedes. Sorry if I scared you.” 

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Starscream said, waving his servos a bit. “Don’t worry. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Nope, still weird,” the other Starscream sighed. “Probably won’t ever not be weird. Anyway,” he stepped over, clapping a servo on Starscream’s shoulder, “why don’t we sit for a little while, hm? Talk about some things,” he gestured away, and Starscream took the moment to actually examine the room. It seemed to be some kind of half living space, half workspace. There was a messy berth and several seating implements shoved against one wall, and several tables piled high with datapads and sundry against the other.

Starscream let himself be led over to the seats, giving a quiet “thank you” as he sat down, the other Starscream taking a seat across from him. Wheeljack made himself scarce, and Starscream tried not to be as grateful for it as he was.  
  
“So,” the other Starscream said, crossing his legs. “You said the war was still going on where you’re from, right?”

His chest tightened. He wasn’t going to make Starscream talk about _that,_ was he? 

Apparently his distress showed clear enough in his expression, because the other Starscream laughed quietly, shaking his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you discuss anything you don’t want to. Really, I’m more curious about what your versions of the Decepticons are like.” His optics narrowed slightly. “You mentioned you were Megatron’s second.”

“Oh, yes,” Starscream nodded furiously, “he asked me to take the role not long after I joined the Decepticons, along with being the head of the science division, and I was happy to. He’s-- well,” he flushed slightly, as he always did when he got to thinking about his… well, his Megatron, for lack of a better title. He knew he should try to have an unbiased perspective, give this Starscream facts instead of feelings, but it was just so difficult to keep the emotional part of it all from slipping into his words. “It’s a rather long story,” he said softly, “but I owe him and the rest of the Decepticons my life.”

“You don’t have to explain it all, but if you don’t mind, I’m terribly curious.” It was impossible to tell exactly what emotion he was hearing in the other Starscream’s voice. If only he was that good at hiding his feelings. 

“Well,” he glanced down at the floor. It wasn’t that he wasn’t _willing_ to talk about it, he was. He’d told other curious mecha his story more times than he could remember. Of course, that didn’t make it any easier. “It wasn’t long after the war began,” he said. He never liked thinking about it. But it was all too easy to remember.

“I had been working in Crystal City, along with many other scientists, trying to find solutions for things like fuel efficiency and where to source new materials without destroying our planet. Optimus Prime approached me, said he wanted me to join him and his Autobots in their crusade. He thought I would be-- would be a good asset.” Not a good ally. A good _asset._ A tool to be used as Prime saw fit. “I-- I refused. I didn’t want to work for those kinds of mecha, one who only wanted my skills to spread their hatred. And-- well. Optimus Prime has never taken well to being told _no.”_

He wrapped his arms around himself, wishing very suddenly that he was back home among friends, where he could just do his work and not have to think about all this. Or, when his processor _did_ get stuck in a loop of remembering things he didn’t want to remember, seek out Megatron. His leader was always so good at acting as a grounding presence. Big enough to dwarf even Starscream, for all he was not a small mech. 

There really was no place he felt safer than in Megatron’s arms. Not even his own heavily-fortified lab could compare.

“It’s alright,” the other Starscream said gently, “take your time.”

He tightened his grip, wincing slightly as the edges of his digits dug into his plating. “As a consequence for my refusal,” he said, hardly audible, “he had Crystal City obliterated. Right in front of my optics. Forced me to watch as my home and colleagues were wiped off the face of the planet, then hardly gave me time to grieve before throwing me into prison.”

Stars, but he wished he were home right now. He was sure the other Starscream was plenty nice, really. But he also _really_ didn’t want to be here.

“Megatron and his group saved me,” he continued, grateful that-- at least-- the worst part of it was over, “and I was… grateful. I still am grateful. I don’t think I ever won’t be. So when he asked me to join him, help him try to make a better Cybertron and protect the rest of the universe from Prime and his crew, it was the least I could do to say yes.” 

“I see.” The other Starscream pulled a cube from his subspace, handing it over. Despite the difference in color, it was easy enough to infer that it was this world’s version of energon, simply based on the soft glow it had as well as the context of the offering, and he took it with a quiet “thank you.” It was a bit more bland than what he was used to, but otherwise there seemed to be little variance. “And is… _gratitude_ all you feel towards him?”

Despite himself, he flushed.

The other Starscream just gave him a knowing smirk.

“He’s… very impressive,” Starscream said softly. “Intelligent. Kind. He never lets me… well. I would gladly serve him however he would see fit. But he refuses to let me, declines any sort of title, has me stand should I try to kneel. Says it’s ‘unbefitting’ of me to lower myself like that to anyone.” He stared down at the cube in his servos, rubbing his thumb against the corner. _“Especially_ him, he says. Like he doesn’t even see how incredible he is. He saved us, _all_ of us. He was the only one strong enough to bring us together and stand against the Autobots, and he won’t even--”

Catching sight of the sour expression on the other Starscream’s face, he went silent. He wasn’t sure what exactly he’d said wrong, but… well, not everyone appreciated his tirades about how great their leader was. For as much as the other Decepticons liked Megatron plenty, they also didn’t quite hold him in the same regard.

And they also quickly grew tired of Starscream’s rambling. He couldn’t blame them, of course, he _did_ have a tendency to go on for a while. (He couldn’t help but think about how Megatron never seemed to tire of his rants, no matter _what_ the subject matter.)

“Sorry,” he said, glancing down at the floor. Hiking his wings up close to his back as though trying to make himself seem smaller. “I-- I didn’t mean to ramble.”

“No, no, it’s…” The other Starscream sighed. “It’s not you.” He went quiet for a moment, and Starscream waited patiently for him to gather his words. “There’s a Megatron in this world, too,” he said, “and in many other worlds. And, in most of those worlds, there is a Starscream that stands beside him.” Whatever interest Starscream might’ve had in this world’s Megatron was quickly waylaid by the grim look on his counterpart’s face.

“...Okay.”

“And in most of those worlds, where there is a Megatron and a Starscream,” his counterpart looked up at him with narrowed optics, “they do _not_ get along so well.”

“Oh.”

Oh, dear.

The other Starscream nodded slightly, probably noting the stricken look on his face and gathering that he understood. “I once stood beside Megatron,” he continued, “as his not-so-trusted Second and Air Commander. But it was _far_ from the idyllic companionship you detailed. For as much as we worked together, there was very little in the way of _civility._ I tried to kill him on many occasions. And he tried to kill me right back.” A wry smile. “Sometimes I wonder if it means anything that neither of us could ever quite manage it.” 

“Oh, goodness, I--”

“And, you remember that other Starscream I mentioned? The one who’s staying with us?” He steamrolled right over Starscream’s attempt to interrupt. He kind of got the feeling that this was something that his counterpart had been wanting to talk about for a while, and now that he’d gotten going, couldn’t very well stop in the middle of it. “He stood beside Megatron, too. _His_ Megatron. Who all but beat him half to death on a regular basis, hurt him for mistakes that weren’t his fault, used him as a veritable punching bag. That Starscream went back, and you know what happened? He lasted all of a couple _days_ before contacting us because his Megatron was in the process of beating him to a bleeding pulp.”

Deep down, Starscream knew that very little of his counterpart’s anger, if any, was actually directed at him. He could gather that this Starscream had a lot of pent up feelings, about his own Megatron and the other one, and was simply taking the chance to vent because the topic had come up. It was not his fault.

That didn’t stop his servos from shaking as the other Starscream continued his tirade, and it didn’t stop him from having to force himself not to start crying. Only partially because of anything that was being said.

(He’d never done very well with being yelled at.)

The other Starscream caught onto his turmoil enough that it made him pause, gather his wits, and slump over in his chair with a sigh. “I apologize,” he said. “It’s not your fault things are the way they are. And I shouldn’t have yelled. It just… pains me, slightly, to hear my former tormenter being spoken about with such… reverence. Especially because _I_ used to speak of him that way, before I realized the depths of his cruelty.”

Before Starscream could say anything, he continued; “But I need to remind myself that despite sharing a name and role, my Megatron and _your_ Megatron are two very different mechs. And if the difference between you and I is so stark,” he smirked, “then I imagine the difference between them is even moreso.”

He sure could talk a lot.

“I am sorry you had to go through that,” Starscream said softly. “You certainly didn’t deserve it. Any of it. No one deserves such cruelty.”

“It has been quite the uphill battle to make myself believe that. But… I have managed.” That, at least, got a genuine smile out of him. “I have friends. I have my conjunx. And while my recovery was owed to no one but myself, they certainly helped make it go a bit smoother.”

“I’m glad you have them.” 

“And I’m glad you have your Megatron,” his counterpart said. “Even if I am slightly bitter that you got the _good one,_ and I was stuck with the idiot bucket-head.

He glanced down at his unfinished cube, setting it aside before setting his servos on his legs. Taking a deep breath. He never much liked doing this, being “assertive,” it made him feel rude and a little sick to his tanks. But he was not going to let any lingering notions muddy the truth. “I’m glad I have him too,” he said, firmly, “but you have to remember, it’s not without cost. Yes, my Megatron is kinder than the ones you know. But, at least, from what I have gathered-- your Autobots are far less cruel. This world as a whole is far less cruel. My Megatron is kind, and caring, and so many other things. But my planet is dead, and we are a starving people who are barely managing to keep ourselves afloat, but at the same time we can’t afford to falter, because we know it would mean the end of a free universe.”

He looked up at the other Starscream, hoping his expression was something closer to a stern grimace and not on the verge of tears like he’d been a few moments prior. “My Megatron is good. And everything else is _so much worse.”_

“I… suppose that is something of a trade-off.” He sighed. “Even if it’s still baffling to me, how you could see him so… positively.”

“It’s only confusing because you’re not _listening_ to me,” oh boy, now _he’d_ gotten the ball rolling. Maybe he and this Starscream weren’t so different after all, “my Megatron and the Megatron you speak of _are_ different. He has never once laid a servo on me. He’s hardly even thrown an insult my way. He has done nothing but help me, both to recover and to find a better future. He is compassionate, and brave, and he is more than I deserve. While yes, _your_ Megatron was cruel to you, and there was only something festering and toxic between you, _mine_ is not. And has never been. And--”

And, despite his best efforts, there was nothing _official_ between them.

Sometimes, though, with the way he’d catch Megatron looking at him as he rambled, he couldn’t help but wonder…

“And I understand why it would be confusing to you,” he redirected, softening his voice as he took a moment to calm himself, “with how much you have seen that would portray Megatron as wicked and abusive. I would not ask you to-- to give your Megatron another chance or _anything_ along those lines, simply because mine is kind. I gather that he’s the exception. But I ask that you take a moment to try and understand that just because something would be bad for _you,_ does not mean it’s bad for _me.”_

The other Starscream stared at him in silence for a few moments. Then sighed. “I guess I _have_ been a bit short-sighted about all of this,” he said. “The multiverse is _infinite,_ after all, and anything is possible. Somehow, it never crossed my mind that there might just be a universe where even something I thought a constant-- Megatron’s sadism-- would be untrue.”

“Infinite worlds means infinite possibilities,” Starscream said, smiling slightly. “I said that to him, you know? When I explained the project I was working on, one that would let me traverse dimensions. I’d been interested in the subject ever since the alternate Cliffjumper arrived in our world-- he was from a world like this one, where the Autobots were good and the Decepticons were bad-- but never really had any free time to dedicate towards unraveling its mysteries. I tend to get rather enveloped in my work, you see.”

“Oh, yes, I understand.” His counterpart grinned. “My Wheeljack is much the same way when he gets into _his_ science. How did your device malfunction?”

“Malfunction? Oh, no, you misunderstand,” Starscream reached into his subspace, pulling out the inert device and holding it out for his counterpart to examine. “My device worked exactly as intended. While it activated a bit sooner than I would have liked, it was designed to be able to safely bring me to an alternate dimension and then take me back home. The only malfunction was that I misjudged the energy output and it ended up frying itself when I activated it, but that’s easily fixed, and otherwise it did just what it was supposed to.”

“...I suppose you have a point.”

“Speaking of fried wires, I’m pretty sure the problem is just a simple burnt fuse, and I can easily fix it with the right materials. You mentioned your Wheeljack was a scientist, does he happen to have a lab with any spare parts he wouldn’t mind me using?”

“Of course he does,” the other Starscream said, getting to his pedes and gesturing for him to follow. “He won’t mind at all. He’s of the mind that science is something to be shared.”

“That’s rather nice,” Starscream said, trailing after his counterpart as they headed through hallways and down a set of stairs. They passed a few mechs, but no one really even glanced their way. “The Wheeljack I know is a madmech who is soundly crazy, and constantly tries to prove he’s not by performing some inane stunt that usually results in property destruction and at least one injury.”

“...Yikes.”

“Quite.”

The lab was all he could have hoped for and more, about as well stocked as his one at home. While some of the wires and connectors were slightly different than the kind he was used to, they were similar enough that he was able to find ones that could fit the fuses on his device well enough. 

The other Starscream watched from a distance as he worked. “Be glad it was me that met you upon your arrival and not the _other_ other Starscream,” he said after a couple moments of silence. “For as much as I was rather close-minded about your whole situation with your Megatron, he’d be even _worse._ You know how I was willing to listen with just a little cajoling?” He grimaced. “Yeah. The other one is _far_ worse. You’d be hard-pressed to get him to believe you weren’t brainwashed or something if you went on spouting that kind of pro-Megatron rhetoric.”

Starscream leaned a bit closer to his device. “Given what you told me about the… tempestuous nature of their interactions, I suppose I couldn’t fault him. Even if going so far as to accuse _brainwashing_ might be a bit excessive.”

“I’m just telling it how it is,” his counterpart said, lifting his servos in a “don’t shoot the courier” sort of gesture. “He’s… _paranoid_ is an understatement. We’re working on it.”

“Perhaps I’ll get to meet him some other time,” Starscream said, making sure that the grounding wires were secure before closing the latch on the device and getting to work putting the screws back in. “I disappeared without a word, and I don’t want anyone to worry, so I’d like to get back as quick as I can. But once I do some more contained tests and make sure it won’t break _every_ time I use it, perhaps I’ll pay you another visit someday.”

The other Starscream looked… mildly surprised. “You’re going to continue with the project?”

“Oh yes,” Starscream said, nodding and giving his counterpart a bright smile. “A whole _multiverse_ with a truly innumerable amount of possible universes to explore? It’s a scientist’s dream.” Skyfire would’ve lost his mind about it. 

“I… suppose.” His counterpart grimaced. “After the various run-ins Wheeljack and I had, one that resulted in him getting stuck in another universe for several days with a bunch of mechs he didn’t really like, we kind of decided not to get involved in the multiverse anymore. Then the other Starscream showed up and despite also trying to help him, we still did our level best not to do _too_ much in the field of multidimensional travel. There are just too many ways it can easily go wrong.”

“That’s an awful shame,” Starscream said. “But I guess I can understand it.”

Probably sensing that there was some sort of goodbye about to happen, the other Starscream moved around the workbench to stand before him, reaching forward to clasp his forearm in some kind of cordial gesture. “I wish you the best of luck,” he said, “in all your endeavors.”

“The same to you. Thank you for hosting me.”

“It was our pleasure.” His counterpart stepped back, far enough that he (hopefully) wouldn’t end up caught in the crosshairs of Starscream’s device, and lifted his servo in a wave. Starscream flicked the switch, and the device began to hum as it started powering on. “Safe travels. Oh-- and one more thing.”

Starscream looked up at him curiously. There was a wry smile on his face.

“Maybe you should actually _tell_ your Megatron how you feel. Even if he is outside the norm in terms of his kindness, I have a feeling he’s just as _dense_ as every other Megatron out there.”

He flushed, and the last thing he heard was his counterpart cackling before there was a bright flash of light and he found himself standing in his lab, in the exact spot he’d been when the device had suddenly activated and sent him to the other dimension. A quick glance at his now-functioning chronometer (he’d hardly noticed when it stopped working) told him that barely a couple hours had passed since his abrupt departure. Not long enough for anyone to grow too concerned, but just long enough that there were a few concerned comms in his inbox.

All from Megatron.

_[It’s been a few hours since you last refueled, you should take a little break.]_

_[Your signal suddenly disappeared, is everything alright?]_

_[Starscream?]_

_[Comm me when you get this, please, I’m starting to get worried.]_

Sweet of him. 

_[I’m just fine,]_ he sent back, glyphs laced with an apology, _[an experiment went a little wrong, but everything’s alright. And I have a_ lot _to tell you about.]_

Palpable relief from the other end of the line. _[Apologies if I seemed overbearing. You know I just worry.]_ A few moments passed, though the line remained open, so Starscream just waited. _[Perhaps, if you would be amenable, we could discuss this experiment of yours over energon? The sky is quite clear tonight, and there’s a spot on the upper observation deck that’s rarely frequented. If... you would be willing. You’re under no obligation to accept.]_

Starscream did his best to ignore the flutter in his chest at the invitation. Maybe he _was_ just reading into it a little too much. 

But he also really hoped he was reading into it just the right amount.

_[That sounds like a lovely idea.]_

**Author's Note:**

> so, like, basically this all started because i consumed literally all the Shattered Glass content I could get my hands on with minimal effort, and then could NOT stop thinking about it for several hours. see, here's the thing. megastar is and kind of always has been a bit of a complicated subject for me. i really like starscream, if that hasnt been made obvious by now, and no matter how you slice it, the fact of the matter is that a lot of people who create megastar content really aren't all that kind to him. that problem, while it is somewhat due to the sorts of people who create this kind of negative content, is also owing to the preexisting nature of their dynamic in canon.
> 
> it depends on the specific continuity, but in several tf canons, megatron and starscream's relationship is not very good. the ones that come to mind especially are those of TFP and the Cyberverse cartoon. in both of these, megatron's treatment of starscream is not healthy in any way, shape, or form, and could definitely be considered outright abuse in many cases. however, in continuities like G1 and TFA, their interactions are a lot more mutually antagonistic, and a lot less serious. unlike tfp or cbv, none of the harm megatron does ever seems to leave much of a lasting effect on starscream, which changes the nature of their relationship in a big way. it makes it significantly easier for them to be written about and make their relationship seem healthy. and, thats not to say you can't write about tfp or cbv megastar without it being unhealthy. if you make anything enough of an au, and approach it with enough tact and rationality, you can write just about anything into an interesting read.
> 
> and, like, a relationship doesn't necessarily have to be *healthy* to be interesting to read about. the problem isn't when people write about relationships that aren't healthy. its when those relationships are glorified and are treated as though they *are* healthy that it starts getting concerning. which, even those who avidly consume megastar content cannot deny that there is a liberal amount of glorification of sensitive and harmful subjects in the content that's created.
> 
> i'm not condemning people who ship megastar. in the end, its just a couple fictional characters, and people can do whatever they'd like. im not a fucking cop. its not up to me to police what people like and create content for. im simply sharing my perspective on a subject that's often debated a lot within the wider fandom. if you like megastar, good for you. if you hate megastar, good for you. its your opinion and you're entitled to it.
> 
> anyway. i bring all this up cause ive kind of expressed some public distaste for megastar in the past (usually because i saw something glorifying abuse and got mad enough about it to write something soft and kind in retribution) but im a lot more neutral on it most days. i just dont really have an opinion. but its because i have expressed distaste that suddenly the fact that im writing about it in any kind of positive way might seem a bit... wishy-washy, i guess? like i cant make up my mind. thats not really it. for most canons, i could care less about megastar. it doesn't really interest me. but heres the thing. i *really* like shattered glass megastar.
> 
> and its because the shattered glass iterations of their characters are so fundamentally *different* from the rest of their canon selves. there arent any of those preexisting negative connotations to their relationship. for what little shattered glass canon does exist, they're shown to have genuinely supportive and positive interactions. their dynamic is completely different from anything they have in any other canon, and that's what endears that particular version of the pairing to me so much.
> 
> so, yeah. thats that. you probably wont be getting megastar content for any continuity besides shattered glass from me, just cause im not really fond of writing it, but youll probably get more SG megastar at some point or another. or if not that specifically just more SG content. i have sg brainrot now my thoughts are Consumed,
> 
> im not gonna post this with comment moderation enabled. but if this gets enough traction and folks start getting rowdy, i will turn moderation on. i dont want no nonsense. keep your arguments in tumblr dms and off my works. (on the other hand, if you wanna have a genuine conversation, i am ALL ears. love talking to people about things)


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